Complete beginner’s guide to email marketing

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to grow your business. For every dollar you spend on email marketing, you can expect an average return of $42. That’s higher than any other marketing channel.

But if you’re new to email marketing, it can feel overwhelming. How do you get started? What should you write about? How often should you send emails? This guide answers all these questions and more.

By the end, you’ll understand exactly how to build an email list, create compelling messages, and measure your success.

Complete beginner's guide to email marketing

What is email marketing?

Email marketing is the practice of sending commercial messages to a group of people via email. These messages can promote products, share news, build relationships, or provide value to your subscribers.

Unlike social media, where algorithms control who sees your content, email lets you communicate directly with people who want to hear from you. You own your email list, and nobody can take that away.

Why email marketing works

Email marketing is effective because it’s:

Direct: Messages go straight to your customer’s inbox
Personal: You can address people by name and segment by interests
Cost-effective: Much cheaper than advertising or direct mail
Measurable: You can track exactly who opens, clicks, and buys
Owned: You control the list, not a social media platform
Scalable: Sending 10 emails costs the same as sending 10,000

Small businesses especially benefit from email marketing because you don’t need a huge budget to see results.

Types of email campaigns

There are several types of emails you can send:

Newsletters

Regular updates sent on a consistent schedule (weekly, monthly, etc.). Newsletters keep you top of mind and provide value to subscribers. They might include:

Industry news and tips
Company updates
Curated content
Behind-the-scenes stories

Promotional emails

Emails designed to drive sales by promoting products, services, or special offers. Use these for:

New product launches
Seasonal sales
Limited-time discounts
Flash sales

Welcome emails

Automatically sent to new subscribers. Welcome emails typically have the highest open rates (around 50%) and set the tone for your relationship.

Transactional emails

Triggered by customer actions like purchases, account signups, or password resets. These have very high open rates because people expect them.

Educational content

Emails that teach subscribers something valuable. These build trust and position you as an expert. Examples include:

How-to guides
Tips and tricks
Industry insights
Case studies

Win-back emails

Targeted campaigns designed to re-engage subscribers who have stopped opening your emails. These emails remind inactive customers why they subscribed and encourage them to come back. Win-back emails typically include:

Special comeback offers or discounts
“We miss you” messages
Surveys asking why they stopped engaging
Reminders of what they’re missing

Win-back campaigns are worth the effort because bringing back an existing subscriber is much cheaper than acquiring a new one.

Building your email list

Before you can send emails, you need people to send them to. Here’s how to build your list from scratch.

Your signup form should be simple and clear. Ask only for essential information. For most businesses, that’s just:

First name (for personalization)
Email address

The more fields you require, the fewer people will sign up.

Offer an incentive

Give people a reason to subscribe. Popular incentives include:

Discount codes (10-15% off first purchase)
Free shipping
Exclusive content or guides
Early access to sales
Free resource downloads

Make sure your incentive appeals to your ideal customer.

Place signup forms in multiple locations:

Homepage (header, footer, or sidebar)
Blog posts (as a popup or inline)
Checkout page
Social media profiles
In-store (QR code or iPad)
Business cards and receipts

The more touchpoints, the faster your list grows.

Use popups strategically

Popups can grow your list quickly, but use them carefully:

Show popup after visitor has been on site for 30+ seconds
Only show once per visitor
Make it easy to close
Mobile-friendly design
Clear value proposition

Pro tip: Exit-intent popups (triggered when someone is about to leave) perform well without being annoying.

Choosing an email marketing platform

You’ll need software to manage your list and send emails. When choosing a platform, consider:

Ease of use: Can you create emails without technical skills?
Features: Does it include all the features you need and will use?
Deliverability: Do emails reach inboxes reliably?
Support: Can you get help when needed?
Pricing: Does it fit your budget as your list grows?

Minutemailer is designed specifically for small businesses, offering all essential features without complexity or high costs.

Creating your first email campaign

Now let’s create your first email campaign. We’ll walk through each step.

Step 1: Define your goal

Every email should have one clear goal. Ask yourself: what do I want recipients to do?

Common goals:

Visit your website
Make a purchase
Read a blog post
Share with friends
Reply with feedback
Download a resource

Having a clear goal keeps your message focused.

Step 2: Know your audience

Who are you writing to? Understanding your audience helps you write relevant, compelling emails. Consider:

What problems do they have?
What solutions can you offer?
What tone resonates with them?
What time do they check email?

The better you know your audience, the more effective your emails will be.

Step 3: Write a compelling subject line

Your subject line determines whether people open your email. Good subject lines are:

Short: 6-10 words or 40-50 characters
Specific: Tell people exactly what’s inside
Benefit-focused: Explain what’s in it for them
Urgent (when appropriate): Create a reason to open now
Personal: Use their name or reference their interests

Examples:

“Sarah, your 20% discount expires tonight”
“5 ways to save time this week”
“New arrivals you’ll love”
“We made a mistake (and want to fix it)”

Avoid spam triggers like ALL CAPS, multiple exclamation points, or words like “FREE!!!”

Step 4: Write your email content

Learn how to create better emails. Start with a clear structure:

Opening: Hook readers immediately. Reference your subject line and deliver on the promise.

Body: Provide value, information, or your offer. Use short paragraphs (2-3 sentences max), bullet points, and white space for easy scanning.

Call to action: Tell readers exactly what to do next. Use a clear button or link. Make it stand out visually.

Closing: Brief sign-off that reinforces your brand personality.

Write conversationally. Imagine you’re emailing a friend. Be helpful, not salesy.

Step 5: Design for readability

Your email should be easy to read on any device:

Single column layout: Works on all screen sizes
Large, clear fonts: At least 14px for body text
Plenty of white space: Don’t cram everything together
Images with alt text: Text displays even if images don’t load
Mobile-first: Over 60% of emails are opened on mobile

Keep design simple. Your message matters more than fancy graphics.

Step 6: Include a clear call to action

Every email needs one primary call to action (CTA). Make it:

Visible: Use a button, not just a text link
Action-oriented: “Shop Now” beats “Click Here”
Above the fold: Visible without scrolling
Repeated: Include it 2-3 times in longer emails

Examples of strong CTAs:

“Get My Discount”
“Read the Full Article”
“Start Free Trial”
“Download Guide”
“Reserve Your Spot”

Step 7: Test before sending

Always preview and test your email:

Send test email to yourself
Check on mobile and desktop
Click all links to ensure they work
Verify images load correctly
Check for typos and grammar errors
Confirm personalization works

Better to catch mistakes now than after sending to thousands of people.

Step 8: Send and monitor

Choose the best time to send. For most businesses, Tuesday through Thursday between 10am-2pm performs well. But test different times to find what works for your audience.

After sending, monitor these metrics:

Open rate: Percentage who opened your email
Click rate: Percentage who clicked a link
Conversion rate: Percentage who completed your goal
Unsubscribe rate: Percentage who opted out

These numbers tell you what’s working and what needs improvement.

Email marketing best practices

Follow these practices to maximize results:

Get permission

Only email people who explicitly opted in to hear from you. Buying email lists is illegal in many places and damages your sender reputation.

Segment your list

Not everyone on your list wants the same emails. Segment by:

Purchase history
Geographic location
Engagement level
Interests or preferences
Signup source

Targeted emails perform much better than one-size-fits-all blasts.

Personalize messages

Use subscriber names and reference their specific interests or actions. Personalized emails have 26% higher open rates.

Simple personalization:

“Hi Sarah” instead of “Hi there”
Reference past purchases
Recommend relevant products
Acknowledge subscriber anniversary

Be consistent

Set expectations and stick to them. If you promise weekly emails, send weekly emails. Consistency builds trust and keeps subscribers engaged.

Provide value

Every email should benefit the subscriber. Before sending, ask: “Would I want to receive this?”

Value can be:

Entertainment
Information
Discounts
Exclusive access
Problem-solving

Make it easy to unsubscribe

Include a clear unsubscribe link in every email. It’s required by law and helps maintain a healthy list. People who don’t want your emails won’t engage anyway.

Test and improve

Try different approaches and measure results:

A/B test subject lines
Test send times
Try different content formats
Experiment with email length
Test different CTAs

Small improvements compound over time.

Understanding email metrics

Here’s what key metrics mean and what numbers to aim for:

Open rate

Percentage of recipients who opened your email.

Average: 15-25%
Good: 25-35%
Excellent: 35%+

Low open rates usually indicate subject line or sender name problems.

Click rate

Percentage of recipients who clicked a link in your email.

Average: 2-5%
Good: 5-8%
Excellent: 8%+

Low click rates suggest content or CTA issues.

Conversion rate

Percentage of recipients who completed your desired action (purchase, signup, download, etc.).

Varies widely by industry and goal. Track your own baseline and work to improve it.

Bounce rate

Percentage of emails that couldn’t be delivered.

Hard bounce: Email address doesn’t exist
Soft bounce: Temporary problem (full inbox, server down)

Keep bounce rate under 2%. High bounce rates hurt deliverability.

Unsubscribe rate

Percentage of recipients who opted out.

Average: 0.1-0.5%

If your unsubscribe rate is higher, you’re likely emailing too often, sending irrelevant content, or targeting the wrong audience.

Common beginner mistakes

Avoid these pitfalls:

Buying email lists: Never works and often violates laws. Build your list organically.

No clear goal: Every email should have one purpose. Don’t try to accomplish too much.

Ignoring mobile: Always check how emails look on phones.

Too many CTAs: Multiple competing calls to action confuse readers. Pick one primary action.

Not segmenting: Sending the same email to everyone results in lower engagement.

Inconsistent sending: Emailing once, disappearing for months, then sending five emails in a week annoys subscribers.

Forgetting to test: Always send test emails and click all links before sending to your full list.

All sales, no value: If every email is a sales pitch, people will tune out. Provide helpful content too.

Your first 30 days

Here’s a simple plan for your first month:

Week 1: Setup

Choose email marketing platform
Create signup form
Add form to website
Set up welcome email

Week 2: Build list

Add signup incentive
Create landing page
Share on social media
Start collecting subscribers

Week 3: First campaign

Plan first newsletter
Write compelling subject line
Create valuable content
Send to your list

Week 4: Analyze and improve

Review metrics
Survey subscribers
Plan next month’s content
Set up automation

Resources for continued learning

Email marketing is always evolving. Stay current by:

Reading email marketing blogs
Following industry experts
Joining email marketing communities
Attending webinars
Testing new strategies
Learning from your own data

Most importantly, just start. You’ll learn more from sending emails and seeing what works than from endless research.

Next steps

You now have everything you need to start email marketing. Here’s what to do today:

Sign up for an email marketing platform like Minutemailer
Create your first signup form
Add it to your website
Plan your welcome email
Start collecting subscribers

Don’t wait for the perfect moment or perfect email. Start now and improve as you go. Your first email doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be sent.

The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll see results. Welcome to email marketing!

Pro tip: Keep your first few emails simple. Focus on being helpful and authentic. As you get more comfortable, you can experiment with advanced strategies.